At the exhibit there were 4 handheld sketchbooks. You could turn the pages and get an idea of how Seurat saw things and then captured them on paper. Quite a number of dogs fill those pages. You can turn the pages online if you visit here. Beagles prefer macarons, watercolor, 9" x 12"

Painting a piece of cake is much easier than painting a dog. I love the way Seurat captured the dog's livliness and animation with such simplicity. I admire even more so his skills after my attempts...He made study after study of the individual elements for his masterpiece, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, before he brought them together in perfect harmony.In the final painting they are all so well integrated, like pieces of a puzzle locked together in a moment of afternoon sun.The dogs add animation and wit to the grand gesture of the painting.Photo by Sara Kulwich for the New York TimesBritish director Sam Buntrock (formerly an animater) uses 21st-century technology to convey 19th-century PointillistSeurat's vision. These two blank canvases are animated with drawings of scampering dogs that jump and leap and come alive as they do inherently the painting. The finished Seurat work - which you understand much better after seeing the play.Photo by Sara Kulwich for the New York TimesThe grand finale of the play bursts forth with light, warmth and energy. A painting brought to life! There's a grand finale at Studio PB, since my new hounds of Baskerville have arrived.

21 comments:

Oh I am envious. Sounds like a wonderful weekend. The MOMA and the REVIAL. I love That painting by Seurat, but have never thought about HOW he went about doing it, now you've peaked my interest.I have seen "living pictures" in Laguna Beach at the Pagent of Masters and that was awesome but not about just one Artist.Looks like your managerie is growing. Love the paintings.

I'm so jealous, Carol! You got to see that--good for you. I'd have loved to see that. I saw Bernadette Peters and Mandy Potemkin in the original, but on PBS, not in person. I always loved it. Wonderful post, and beautiful the way you incorporated your dogs here. That sketchbook must've been amazing to see first-hand. Thanks for sharing this with us! Your dog paintings are wonderful.sue

WOW! Where to begin!As one who has been keeping sketchbooks since 1974 (approx 1 1/2 yrs to fill each) I'm now almost done #40. Mine record events in the life (and death) of my family. I also am a 10 minute walk from the Barnes Foundation, home to some wonderful big, and small, Seurats, and to one of the worlds greatest collections of Impressionist and Post Impressionist art.Exceptional post today!

Woof woof, a-DOR-A-ble! feed the dears some macarons, they are so well behaved...what a great way to spend the weekend. Thanks for taking us along. I have stood before the great Seurat's , in awe. And saw the Peters/Potempkin performance too. It fascinates me how certain works of art, become cultural icons that resonate in songs and plays and in our minds. There is a central idea that we long for, indeed need. Probably best viewed with accompanying macarons.All best, Jan

These are a riot--neat that you just have them half-in the picture this way--very engaging. Very sweet. (These dogs are well-behaved, too, I must say!) This little guy's very dainty the way he's eating that macaron. ;))

I bought my son a copy of "Sunday Afternoon, Looking for the Car". You might enjoy it:http://www.amazon.com/Sunday-Afternoon-Looking-Car-Aberrant/dp/0764903624/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203986827&sr=1-1

What an interesting idea - to make a painting into a play. I imagine the writer(s) must have daydreamed quite a bit looking at Seurat's painting, wondering what the subjects were talking about, thinking, feeling.

Your paintings of pastries are always so beautiful and these little dogs are soooo cute. Have you illustrated children's books?

When you're stuck for life on a garbage scowOnly forty feet long from stern to prowAnd a crackpot in the bow-wow, rough!The planks ere roughAnd the wind is roughAnd the master's drunk and mean and-Grrrruff! Gruff!With the fish and scumAnd planks end ballast-The nose gets numbAnd the pews Bet callused.And with splinters in your ass,You look forward to the grassOn Sunday...

I saw Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin in the original Broadway production when I was 6, and my life has never been the same since.

What did you think of it?

I'm going to see this revival when I'm home in May but I almost don't want to... the original is too perfectly preserved... and no one, but no one, could touch Mandy Patinkin's performance. Seeing that role played by someone else would be like reading your favorite book rewritten by someone else...

Oh, this post made me smile. I'm living in Paris for a little while and the last thing I did before I left New York City was to see the revival of Sunday in the Park. The show was my sendoff--my little bridge between Paris and home.

Thank you for your insight into topics that are close to my heart indeed.

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♥carol gillott♥

Paris, Ile de France, France

I moved to Paris 2 years ago. I should have done it sooner but that's how the macaron crumbles. Living on the Ile Saint Louis next to the Seine after the 19eme is 'la cerise sur la gâteau'. It doesn't get any better. I've painted watercolors for Bocuse, Champagne Mumm, Guerlain, Frederick Cassel, The Russian Tearoom and the Maharana of Udaipur.
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